Happiness is not something inherent, it is something that is built. There are many psychologists and health experts who assure this. To be happy, we must train our brain, acquire habits that reinforce our physical and mental well-being.. And just as there are habits that can make us happy, there are those that do just the opposite.

So if you consider that you are an unhappy person (or that you are not as happy as you would like), you may be repeating some of these bad habits. According to psychology, the most common ones for most of us are the ones we present below. And 60 is a wonderful age to look back and reflect on the past to change everything that prevents us from being happy. Because we still have a lot of time ahead of us.

1. Constantly compare yourself to others

Yes, we are going to start talking about social networks, because they are the showcase with which we all compare ourselves on a daily basis and currently networks are no longer a thing for young people. Many 60-year-olds use Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, YouTube, LinkedIn…

The comparison may seem, at first, to be harmless behavior. Even enriching, if you use it to improve! But in reality, It is one of the biggest generators of dissatisfaction those we face in life.

When looking at the lives of others, we tend to see only their positive aspects (networks help a lot with this positive selection). That is, we obtain a distorted view of reality. We forget that in reality all of us, and especially on networks, only show our highlightsour best moments and qualities.

So, If we measure ourselves by these unrealistic external standards, we overlook our own progress, value, and growth.. And this, without a doubt, fuels dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

2. Forget about your self-care

There is nothing more important than self-care to maintain mental, emotional and physical balance, especially after a certain age. If you neglect yourself, because you don’t have time or you don’t consider it so important, you will begin to accumulate negative effects almost without realizing it.. You don’t worry about getting enough sleep, so you’re tired all day. You eat the first thing you see at home, so you end up feeling fatigue and stomach discomfort. You don’t give yourself a second to do what you love, and you end up sick from stress.

Self-care is essential in life, because It means taking care of yourself, connecting and enjoying life. Without these moments of pause and reflection, it is easy to lose focus, stop seeing your priorities and lose touch with what makes you happy.

3. Living under the rules of social conditioning

Social conditioning is the set of beliefs, norms and values ​​that we learn from a young age through family, culture, environment and society. It is like an “invisible mold” that influences how we think, feel and act. This conditioning teaches us what is acceptable and what is not, but it also limits us by imposing standards on ourselves. that may not align with what you really are or want in life.

If you allow these norms to dominate your life, without questioning them, you may end up living a life that will not be authentic or fulfilling. And living under the rules that others have designed only generates a constant struggle to meet external expectations.increasing stress and disconnecting you from your true self.

In the process, you will lose the valuable opportunity to explore paths that could have been much more enriching for you.

4. Avoiding the truth when it is uncomfortable

It’s a fact: sometimes the truth can be really uncomfortable. Hence there are the famous “white lies”, which have nothing to do with piety. Because the healthiest thing, what can really make us grow, is the truth.

Avoiding facing uncomfortable truths may seem like an easy solution in the moment. It is often said that it is easier to be happy in ignorance. But in the long run, this will only perpetuate problems that will make you chronically unhappy.

Inconvenient truths have valuable lessons that, if ignored, can become obstacles. The fear of confronting these truths will only cause tension and anxiety to build up.. Furthermore, by avoiding these situations, you become emotionally stagnant and limit your capacity for personal growth.

5. Devalue failure

You’re probably wondering, does failure have any value? And the truth is that yes. VSeeing failure as something purely negative deprives you of the lessons it offers you.. Mistakes and setbacks are an integral part of growth, but by avoiding or ignoring them, you allow fear to continue limiting your opportunities.

Failure is essential to cultivating resilience, the most valuable of human abilities. Learning to get up, to move forward, even stronger, is essential for life. For all aspects of life. Because things aren’t always going to go wrong. Out there, scary things await, things that hurt. Accepting it and knowing that it’s okay to fail, that you can learn from every mistake, is essential.

As Mario Alonso Puig said, When a bird perches on a branch, calm, it does not trust the stability of the branch. Trust your wings. And that is precisely what you need to do: trust in your wings to know that failures do not weaken you, but rather strengthen you.